tag: Networking

Network Prefixes Network prefixes are a fundamental concept in IP networking, particularly in the context of CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing). They define the portion of an IP address that is used for network identification, as opposed to host identification within that network. A network prefix is a part of an IP address that indicates the network to which the IP address belongs. It is represented by a combination of an IP address and a subnet mask or prefix length....

Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) is more efficient than the older classful network design for several key reasons; 1. Flexible Subnetting and Address Allocation Classful Network Design: IP addresses were divided into fixed classes (A, B, C, D, E). Class A: 16 million addresses (8-bit network prefix). Class B: 65,536 addresses (16-bit network prefix). Class C: 256 addresses (24-bit network prefix). This fixed structure often led to significant wastage of IP addresses....